Race to Replace McConnell as GOP Senate Leader Shapes Up

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has finally gotten the message and agreed to step down from leadership.

My guess is that with Donald Trump winning the nomination for the GOP, McConnell knew it would be difficult to work with him, so he decided to step down.

Now, the race is on to see who will replace McConnell in the next term, so the GOP will have to decide if it wants McConnell 2.0 or go in a different direction.

The Leading Candidates

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has entered the race, but he will not be received well by the new breed of conservatives.

Cornyn has an iffy relationship with Donald Trump, and many of the newcomers into politics would consider him a RINO solely on his previous relationship with McConnell.

Every time that McConnell needed to whip up votes to get legislation passed for Joe Biden, Cornyn was in the mix.

However, he is an outstanding fundraiser, and that seems to take priority over everything else these days.

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) is also in the mix, but he is more than likely far too moderate for most Republicans these days.

He was also attached to McConnell at the hip, so there will be that reputation that he will have to deal with when it comes time to elect a leader.

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) ran last term against McConnell, and he is a major Trump ally, which may give him a leg up on the competition.

This is not a young crew of possible leaders, however, with their ages being 72, 63, and 71 respectively.

My opinion… I would like to see someone younger with no allegiance to McConnell at all.

While 61, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) would seem like a great choice for his fiscal responsibility… he would be an absolute nightmare for Democrats and establishment Republicans.

On the younger side, while not a big fan, I could see someone like Senator Hawley (R-MO) throwing his hat in there.

While he has been controversial in the past, he is also always fighting for fiscal responsibility.

This is a huge decision for the GOP Senate, so let’s just hope they don’t vote for another McConnell.